Southwest Missouri News

|tab|

Anderson|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|CTB moves Roxell Inc. business unit|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

CTB Inc. recently announced that it will move its Roxell Inc. business unit into Sibley Industries in Anderson. Roxell is based in Springdale, Ark. CTB designs, manufactures and markets systems used in the grain industry and in the production of poultry, meat, pork and eggs.|ret||ret||tab|

"The action is being taken in an effort to realize greater efficiencies and synergies from strategic acquisitions made by CTB over the past several years," said Ivan Longueville, general manager of the combined operations. "The close proximity of these two facilities makes the move a logical one for us."|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Branson|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Gabriel moves to Osmond Theater|ret||ret||tab|

Branson entertainer Doug Gabriel will move his morning show to the Osmond Family Theater on West Highway 76 in Branson, premiering at 9:30 a.m. April 5. The move follows two seasons at the Starlite Theatre. Gabriel took part in the opening of that new theater. |ret||ret||tab|

In a news release, Ron Layher of the Starlite Theatre stated, "The morning show slot (at the Starlite Theatre) will not be filled as an expansion of the award-winning 1950s theme for the theater is currently under way."|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Health Department gives course|ret||ret||tab|

The Branson Health Department and the Missouri Restaurant Association are sponsoring an "Applied Food Service Sanitation Course" for food service managers and employees. The class will meet 5-9 p.m. on Thursdays beginning March 1 and continuing March 8, 15 and 22. The classes will be held at the Branson Community Center.|ret||ret||tab|

The course is geared to food managers' certification for the training of their staff in correct and safe service procedures. According to the city Health Department, the new FDA Food Code stipulates that a certified food manager must be onsite for each restaurant shift. The food service course has helped increase restaurant inspection scores by as much as 10 points, the city reported. Those interested in participating can call the city at 417-337-8551.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Skaggs hires emergency director|ret||ret||tab|

Benn Scott, MD, has been hired to serve as the medical director of the emergency department and Level III trauma center of Skaggs' Community Health Center in Branson. With 25 years of medical experience, Scott came to Skaggs from St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, where he served as staff physician in the emergency department for two years. Prior to that, he served as emergency room staff physician and director of emergency medicine at hospitals in South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas and Oklahoma.|ret||ret||tab|

As medical director, Scott oversees a staff of two dozen emergency medicine physicians who provide care to more than 29,000 patients annually in the Skaggs emergency room. Scott also is involved with planning for the expansion of Skaggs' emergency room services.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Home Show to be March 3-4|ret||ret||tab|

The fifth annual Tri-Lakes Building and Home Show will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 3-4 at the Chateau on the Lake near Branson. The event is sponsored by The Vacation Channel. For booth information, vendors can call The Vacation Channel at 417-334-1200.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on||bold_on|Great Game of Business' planned|ret||ret||tab|

The Small Business Development Advisory Council of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce will present "The Great Game of Business" seminar 12-4:30 p.m. March 13 at Ozark Mountain Bank in Branson. The interactive seminar will include the fundamentals for implementing The Great Game of Business and open-book management. To register, call Julie Holt at 800-386-2752.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Hollister|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Lowe's opens near Highway 65|ret||ret||tab|

Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, located at the SouthTowne Center in Hollister, just off of U.S. Highway 65, opened for business Feb. 9 and held a grand opening event Feb. 21. Lowe's offers appliances, gardening, hardware, flooring, plumbing, electrical, paint, tools, windows, doors and more. Store hours are 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Joplin|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|BG Maintenance changes name |bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

BG Maintenance has changed its name to BG Service Solutions to reflect its evolving scope of services.|ret||ret||tab|

BG Service Solutions is a division of one of the largest commercial cleaning companies in the Midwest, BGM Industries Inc., with headquarters in Kansas City.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|State |bold_on|aids Ward's workers|ret||ret||tab|

The state Rapid Response Team has been activated to help workers who will be unemployed due to the closing of Montgomery Ward Co. at the Northpark Mall in Joplin.|ret||ret||tab|

The Rapid Response Team, comprises representatives from the Department of Economic Development Division of Workforce Development, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Workforce Investment Board of southwest Missouri. |ret||ret||tab|

The team responds to the needs of workers who have lost or will lose their jobs by providing special training and re-employment services.|ret||ret||tab|

Montgomery Ward announced in late December that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. |ret||ret||tab|

The closing of the Joplin store will result in the layoff of approximately 100 employees.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's difficult to see Montgomery Ward's a company that invented the mail-order business close after more than 100 years in business," said Joseph Driskill, director of the Department of Economic Development. |ret||ret||tab|

"It may be difficult for the state's slowing economy to recover the loss of these retail sector jobs. |ret||ret||tab|

The Jasper County unemployment rate still remains below 3 percent, however, which may be conducive to helping these individuals find employment soon," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Empire District seeks rate hike |ret||ret||tab|

Empire District Electric Company is asking the Missouri Public Service Commission for an 8.18 percent rate increase.|ret||ret||tab|

Company officials said the request comes as a result of drastic increases in the cost of natural gas and purchased power, and construction costs associated with the company's new combined cycle power plant at the state line.|ret||ret||tab|

"Since last spring, the price of natural gas to fuel our gas-fired plants has increased in excess of 100 percent," said Myron McKinney, company president and chief executive officer. |ret||ret||tab|

"Additionally, the cost of power we must purchase for use by our customers has undergone significant changes as well. Because of these drastic increases, we believe immediate rate action is necessary," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Unlike natural gas distributors, electric utilities in Missouri are not allowed any recovery for fuel costs except through the rate case procedure. |ret||ret||tab|

The company has filed a $41 million rate case with the commission to be heard this summer. |ret||ret||tab|

Any interim rates granted would be subject at the conclusion of that case.|ret||ret||tab|

"The interim rates are not in addition to our prior request, but would only be in effect until the permanent case is concluded," McKinney said.|ret||ret||tab|

The company is asking the PSC to approve interim rates for fuel cost and purchased power recovery beginning March 1. |ret||ret||tab|

An Empire customer using 750 kilowatt hours of electricity per month can expect to see his bill increase by $4.64 if the commission approves the increase. |ret||ret||tab|

Additionally, Empire is asking for interim rates to be granted for state line construction costs beginning July 1. |ret||ret||tab|

This would increase the bill of a customer using 750 kilowatt hours by an additional $1.67, for a total of $6.31 if both parts of the request are approved.|ret||ret||tab|

"The rate request filed in November 2000, if allowed to progress at a normal pace, could take as much as 11 months," McKinney said. |ret||ret||tab|

"Because of this extreme increase in fuel prices, and recovery of state line construction costs, we are asking for interim rates to be put in place," McKinney said.|ret||ret||tab|

The Empire District Electric Company is an investor-owned utility providing electric service to approximately 145,000 customers southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas. [[In-content Ad]]